The Marvelous Spider-Man 2
by jtrichard28
Summary: Every since someone got a sample of Peter's blood, Spiderman has been hard at work taking down genetic freaks that have been released into the city. He suspects Oscorp is involved, which is why Norman Osborn hires illusionist Mysterio to frame Spiderman. Meanwhile, Peter decides he cannot hide his identity from his friends, and tells Gwen the truth about his identity.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Felicia Hardy had followed in her father's footsteps from thievery, to jail, and now to the walk out of jail.

Enough was enough after all, she thought as she walked away from the iron clad prison. Despite fond memories of her father she was tired of that life. As far as she was concerned the days of the infamous Cat Burglar and his daughter the Black Cat were over. It was time to start a new life, as far away from the scene of her crimes as possible.

Felicia Hardy was an attractive blonde girl of fifteen dressed in an elegant black dress, which clashed against the harsh prison behind her. Felicia wondered about that dress actually. Strangely enough she should have had a few more years before she was released. She had been tried as an adult for her crimes after all, but some unknown figure had paid her significantly expensive bail and set her free, leaving her this dress for when she got out. Felicia was not one to waste a bit of good luck, but she wasn't about to trust a total stranger either.

She was getting out of New York, now.

Fortunately her father had an account for emergencies that would just do the trick, and she memorized all the necessary information. All she had to do was access a public computer, order plain tickets, and be on her way. The computers at the library would do.

She hailed a taxi and got in.

"New York Public Library please," she said.

"Well hello miss Hardy," said a deep voice with a southern accent. "How are you on this fine day?"

Felicia didn't like the sound of that voice. She knew it too well, and didn't like the idea of being cooped up with this stern looking man as the car started moving.

"Is that you Montana?" she asked suspiciously, but with a soft voice. "When did you get out of jail? "

"Last night," said Montana. "The same way you did I believe."

Drat, thought Felicia, that means this meeting isn't a coincidence.

"Would you please let me out Montana?" she said as sternly as she could. "Right now?"

"Relax sugar," said Montana. "I'm taking to where you wanted. Library right?"

That was true. Felicia did notice that the car had been going in the right direction. So far.

"Fine," said Felicia with. "But if you so much as miss a turn I'm getting off this taxi. And please don't call me sugar. I'm not your sweetie."

"Well you certainly aren't spicy," said Montana. "Seriously. You were always too sweet a girl for our side of the law. Sweet and polite…and you use the word 'please' too much. You really were too good for that worthless father of yours anyway."

"Leave my father out of this," said Felecia angrily. "What do you want anyway?"

"Well," said Montana. "We have need of your particular set of skills. You see the guy my Enforcers are working for has something big planned for a certain someone who has made crime pretty much a fantasy in New York. I believe he's the guy who busted you right?"

"Yeah," said Felicia, dredging up a not so pleasant memory. She was in a museum dressed in platinum blonde wig, a black leotard, and a small black mask. She said, "I was after that diamond in the New York museum, and was about to make my getaway when I got caught in something. It turned out to be webs from that Spiderman guy. Kind of a surreal experience, you know? I was leaping out the window I left open and I was suddenly suspended in mid-air. It took a moment to realize what I was caught in. Now I know how a fly feels when he gets caught in a web."

Felicia didn't mention what Spiderman said to her that day while he was hidden in a corner on the ceiling.

"Gee," Spiderman had said tauntingly. "When a black cat crossed my path, I thought it was me who was supposed to bad luck."

If she never saw that Spiderman again…

"Yeah," said Montana. "He got me and my boys out too. You sure you don't want in on this?"

"What?" she asked, noting that Montana was still driving towards the library. "Take down Spiderman? I don't think so. I've made up my mind. I'm getting out of this life."

"It's a bit late for that," said Montana. "You're already a part of this gig. One of the guys I'm working with made sure of that, and he's been keeping tabs on you. Don't' you remember? Someone had gotten to the diamond before you, after all?"

Felicia didn't like where this was going. Someone had, after all, gotten to the diamond before her. She remembered it clearly. She was standing over the diamond, ready to pick it up, but her hand was stopped by something she didn't see. It felt like glass, but it was invisible, so she had smashed it. The diamond disappeared, replaced by a broken glass dome that flickered white like static on a TV screen. The dome was empty, all except for a calling card that read, "Mysterio." Obviously someone had gotten there before her, and left a holographic dome as a replacement. Who knows how long the diamond had actually been missing. To add insult to injury she had gotten captured that day.

As the car pulled up to the library, Felicia decided to stick with her original plan.

"Well," said Felicia. "Thank you, but like I said. I'm through with this life…and I couldn't' care less about getting back at Spiderman. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going now."

Felicia opened the door and noticed immediately that something was wrong. The library entrance was in the center of the car window when it was closed, it remained there as the door swung open, and was still there when the door came to a stop. Felicia froze and looked around. The windows of the car still showed the city of New York, but outside the care were the white walls of a warehouse.

She had been tricked.

Looking ahead of her she saw, in the center of the warehouse, three men and some sort of computer console. Montana's partners, Ox and Fancy Dan, stood facing her. Ox was a big, burly guy who looked quite mean. Fancy Dan was a short, slightly darker skinned guy who was just a little twitchy. The third man, however, sat at the computer with his back turned, and she had no clue who he was.

Felicia started to calm down a little once she figured out what was going on. The windows of the car were some sort of holographic screens, projecting a false image. Meanwhile the guy at the computer had been controlling the car remotely, as Felicia deduced by the fact that Montana saw the same thing she did when she was in that car, and the computer screen showed the wall that the car was currently facing. There was only one thing that didn't make sense.

"If the car wasn't going where it seemed to be," she began. "Shouldn't I have felt it turning in directions that I wasn't seeing?"

"Ah!" said the man at the computer screen. "But what is a good illusion if it only affects one of the senses?" The man turned around in a squeaky old computer chair and revealed himself to be a nerdy looking guy in classes with a thick black haircut. "That car has specially designed shock absorbers. They should really be called shock redirectors though, as that is their function. They account for the fact that you detected no discrepancy between what you saw and what you felt. Impressed?"

He smiled like an excited schoolboy and Felicia didn't know what to make of him.

"You could say that," she replied, looking around for an exit. Naturally the doors she saw were bolted shut.

"Now," said the stranger. "Please don't feel frightened. Try to think of this as a mutually beneficial opportunity. You wish to disappear I take it? I'm certain that can be arranged. We just need you to do one last little crime for us. That's all. What do you say?"

Felicia looked over at Ox and Fancy Dan who were watching her like hawks. She turned to Montana, who took a stern expression. She knew their abilities, and figured she had a chance against any one of them. All three of them at once, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. Felicia knew, without a doubt…

She wasn't going to have a say in this matter.

"How can I refuse," she asked, thinking all the time that she really would like a chance to refuse.

"Excellent," said the stranger. "Excellent. Now, I, like everyone here, have a reason to get back at a certain wall crawling menace. As for who I am my colleagues call me Quentin beck, but I go by another name, and I hope in time that the public will take to this name as I defame the name of Spiderman. You, Miss Hardy, should be quite familiar with this other name I have chosen for myself."

Quentin tossed her a sparkly object and she caught it. Upon examining the object, she knew exactly the name he had chosen for himself.

For it was the diamond she had tried to steal not so very long ago.

"Yes," she said, looking at Quentin with his schoolboy grin. "Nice to finally meet you.

"Mysterio."

The Marvelous Spider-Man 2

By

Jason Richard


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Prologue

Felicia Hardy had followed in her father's footsteps from thievery, to jail, and now to the walk out of jail.

Enough was enough after all, she thought as she walked away from the iron clad prison. Despite fond memories of her father she was tired of that life. As far as she was concerned the days of the infamous Cat Burglar and his daughter the Black Cat were over. It was time to start a new life, as far away from the scene of her crimes as possible.

Felicia Hardy was an attractive blonde girl of fifteen dressed in an elegant black dress, which clashed against the harsh prison behind her. Felicia wondered about that dress actually. Strangely enough she should have had a few more years before she was released. She had been tried as an adult for her crimes after all, but some unknown figure had paid her significantly expensive bail and set her free, leaving her this dress for when she got out. Felicia was not one to waste a bit of good luck, but she wasn't about to trust a total stranger either.

She was getting out of New York, now.

Fortunately her father had an account for emergencies that would just do the trick, and she memorized all the necessary information. All she had to do was access a public computer, order plain tickets, and be on her way. The computers at the library would do.

She hailed a taxi and got in.

"New York Public Library please," she said.

"Well hello miss Hardy," said a deep voice with a southern accent. "How are you on this fine day?"

Felicia didn't like the sound of that voice. She knew it too well, and didn't like the idea of being cooped up with this stern looking man as the car started moving.

"Is that you Montana?" she asked suspiciously, but with a soft voice. "When did you get out of jail? "

"Last night," said Montana. "The same way you did I believe."

Drat, thought Felicia, that means this meeting isn't a coincidence.

"Would you please let me out Montana?" she said as sternly as she could. "Right now?"

"Relax sugar," said Montana. "I'm taking to where you wanted. Library right?"

That was true. Felicia did notice that the car had been going in the right direction. So far.

"Fine," said Felicia with. "But if you so much as miss a turn I'm getting off this taxi. And please don't call me sugar. I'm not your sweetie."

"Well you certainly aren't spicy," said Montana. "Seriously. You were always too sweet a girl for our side of the law. Sweet and polite…and you use the word 'please' too much. You really were too good for that worthless father of yours anyway."

"Leave my father out of this," said Felecia angrily. "What do you want anyway?"

"Well," said Montana. "We have need of your particular set of skills. You see the guy my Enforcers are working for has something big planned for a certain someone who has made crime pretty much a fantasy in New York. I believe he's the guy who busted you right?"

"Yeah," said Felicia, dredging up a not so pleasant memory. She was in a museum dressed in platinum blonde wig, a black leotard, and a small black mask. She said, "I was after that diamond in the New York museum, and was about to make my getaway when I got caught in something. It turned out to be webs from that Spiderman guy. Kind of a surreal experience, you know? I was leaping out the window I left open and I was suddenly suspended in mid-air. It took a moment to realize what I was caught in. Now I know how a fly feels when he gets caught in a web."

Felicia didn't mention what Spiderman said to her that day while he was hidden in a corner on the ceiling.

"Gee," Spiderman had said tauntingly. "When a black cat crossed my path, I thought it was me who was supposed to bad luck."

If she never saw that Spiderman again…

"Yeah," said Montana. "He got me and my boys out too. You sure you don't want in on this?"

"What?" she asked, noting that Montana was still driving towards the library. "Take down Spiderman? I don't think so. I've made up my mind. I'm getting out of this life."

"It's a bit late for that," said Montana. "You're already a part of this gig. One of the guys I'm working with made sure of that, and he's been keeping tabs on you. Don't' you remember? Someone had gotten to the diamond before you, after all?"

Felicia didn't like where this was going. Someone had, after all, gotten to the diamond before her. She remembered it clearly. She was standing over the diamond, ready to pick it up, but her hand was stopped by something she didn't see. It felt like glass, but it was invisible, so she had smashed it. The diamond disappeared, replaced by a broken glass dome that flickered white like static on a TV screen. The dome was empty, all except for a calling card that read, "Mysterio." Obviously someone had gotten there before her, and left a holographic dome as a replacement. Who knows how long the diamond had actually been missing. To add insult to injury she had gotten captured that day.

As the car pulled up to the library, Felicia decided to stick with her original plan.

"Well," said Felicia. "Thank you, but like I said. I'm through with this life…and I couldn't' care less about getting back at Spiderman. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going now."

Felicia opened the door and noticed immediately that something was wrong. The library entrance was in the center of the car window when it was closed, it remained there as the door swung open, and was still there when the door came to a stop. Felicia froze and looked around. The windows of the car still showed the city of New York, but outside the care were the white walls of a warehouse.

She had been tricked.

Looking ahead of her she saw, in the center of the warehouse, three men and some sort of computer console. Montana's partners, Ox and Fancy Dan, stood facing her. Ox was a big, burly guy who looked quite mean. Fancy Dan was a short, slightly darker skinned guy who was just a little twitchy. The third man, however, sat at the computer with his back turned, and she had no clue who he was.

Felicia started to calm down a little once she figured out what was going on. The windows of the car were some sort of holographic screens, projecting a false image. Meanwhile the guy at the computer had been controlling the car remotely, as Felicia deduced by the fact that Montana saw the same thing she did when she was in that car, and the computer screen showed the wall that the car was currently facing. There was only one thing that didn't make sense.

"If the car wasn't going where it seemed to be," she began. "Shouldn't I have felt it turning in directions that I wasn't seeing?"

"Ah!" said the man at the computer screen. "But what is a good illusion if it only affects one of the senses?" The man turned around in a squeaky old computer chair and revealed himself to be a nerdy looking guy in classes with a thick black haircut. "That car has specially designed shock absorbers. They should really be called shock redirectors though, as that is their function. They account for the fact that you detected no discrepancy between what you saw and what you felt. Impressed?"

He smiled like an excited schoolboy and Felicia didn't know what to make of him.

"You could say that," she replied, looking around for an exit. Naturally the doors she saw were bolted shut.

"Now," said the stranger. "Please don't feel frightened. Try to think of this as a mutually beneficial opportunity. You wish to disappear I take it? I'm certain that can be arranged. We just need you to do one last little crime for us. That's all. What do you say?"

Felicia looked over at Ox and Fancy Dan who were watching her like hawks. She turned to Montana, who took a stern expression. She knew their abilities, and figured she had a chance against any one of them. All three of them at once, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. Felicia knew, without a doubt…

She wasn't going to have a say in this matter.

"How can I refuse," she asked, thinking all the time that she really would like a chance to refuse.

"Excellent," said the stranger. "Excellent. Now, I, like everyone here, have a reason to get back at a certain wall crawling menace. As for who I am my colleagues call me Quentin beck, but I go by another name, and I hope in time that the public will take to this name as I defame the name of Spiderman. You, Miss Hardy, should be quite familiar with this other name I have chosen for myself."

Quentin tossed her a sparkly object and she caught it. Upon examining the object, she knew exactly the name he had chosen for himself.

For it was the diamond she had tried to steal not so very long ago.

"Yes," she said, looking at Quentin with his schoolboy grin. "Nice to finally meet you.

"Mysterio."

The Marvelous Spider-Man 2

By

Jason Richard


	3. Chapter 2

The Marvelous Spiderman 2

Chapter Two

By

Jason Richard

Peter paced back and forth in his bedroom, very nervous. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? More and more he was starting to change his mind about all of this. He had to decide quickly too. After all...

Gwen would be there any minute.

Should he tell her? Should he not tell her? What would happen if he did? How would this affect his relationship with both Gwen and Harry? He didn't want to hurt his relationship with either of them but…they knew he was hiding something from them. If he kept it inside any longer…

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Peter.

Gwen opened the door and stepped in with a curious look on her face.

"You wanted to talk to me Peter?" she said.

Peter found himself just standing there opened mouthed. He had indeed asked her to meet with him so they could talk, but now that she was there…

"Yes," he finally said. "I did…um…how are you?"

"I'm…fine," said Gwen carefully. "And you?"

"Oh…" said Peter. "I'm good. All good."

There was a pause while they stood facing each other awkwardly. Peter kept trying to get up the nerve to say something, but a lump kept forming in his throat every time he did.

Eventually Gwen said, "I'm going to go out on a limb here. You want to tell me something that you find difficult to tell me. Don't you?"

"Wow," said Peter. "You figured that out quick. Any faster and I'd think you had superpowers."

Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes, even though she was smiling. "I just want to you know that you don't have to rush things. Harry and I know that you're keeping…something from us."

Peter was not surprised. "Yeah, I figured you suspected something."

"Well yeah," said Gwen. "I mean that story you gave us about how you can track Spiderman makes sense for the most part. I checked the math on Spiderman's speed and sightings and that holds up just fine. It's just…well…it's a little odd that someone can track Spiderman down and Spiderman hasn't really done anything about it."

"Oh," said Peter. "I see. Well…there is a good explanation for that."

"I know," said Gwen quickly. "Whatever's going on you're doing it to take care of your Aunt, so I don't mind that you're still keeping secrets…I don't want to feel like there's any pressure to tell us anything. I know what you have to say is hard so take your time."

Peter stared at her, mouth open wide, and then laughed. "Oh Gwen. You're awesome…you know that don't you?"

Gwen couldn't help but crack a smile herself. "Well, I have my moments I guess."

Peter placed his hands on her should and she rubbed his hands affectionately.

"Gwen…" said Peter. "I'm Spiderman."

Gwen froze, her smile not wavering for a moment. She had stopped rubbing his hands so Peter took them away.

"Well," said Peter nervously. "You remember when we were on that field trip at Doctor Connors lab, and there was a spider that day? Well, it's the funniest thing. That spider actually bit me…and it must have crawled into the neogenic machine at one point because the next day I had crazy powers. Weird right?"

She didn't answer, but stared at him with a blank smile.

"Gwen?" he said hopefully. "You okay?"

Gwen nodded, "Yes…I…Yes. Well…I have some good news and some bad news."

Peter didn't like where this was going. He said, "Okay."

"The good news," said Gwen. "Is that I believe you. You being Spiderman. That actually does explain a lot."

Peter was optimistic. "Okay," he said. "Good. And the bad news?"

"Well," said Gwen. "It is a lot to accept in one moment, and I think I'm…very…soon," she started talking like she was falling asleep. "I think I'm…going to need someone to…to…catch me…"

Peter was behind her in a second as she started falling. As he held and unconscious Gwen in his arms he felt a pang of guilt…but a little ray of hope was there as well.

"Okay," said Peter, nodding nervously. "Okay. That's Gwen down. Now I just need to work up the courage to meet with Harry so I can make him faint too."

He said this very sarcastically.

**….**

Quentin Beck had classical music playing as he worked. Specifically Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

He was a nerdy looking man in a thick black haircut with classes and a white coat. He worked in a large warehouse with white walls and there were various tables scattered with sewing equipment, as well as costumes that looked partially medieval and partially Asgardian. Some of the outfits, however, resembled samurai or ninja.

Beck himself stood next to a computer, and was surrounded by four glowing pillars. He used two devices that looked like laser pointers, one in each hand, to shape a holographic image. At the moment it was just a blue and red blob, but as he worked it started to take shape.

At that moment his cell phone beeped. He answered it but kept working with his free hand. As he talked he kept a jovial smile on him.

"Yes?" he said. "Mr. Osborn! Yes we are proceeding right on schedule. Don't worry, nothing would please me more than to disgrace the name of Spiderman. I intend to beat him at his own game. He is quite the performer after all. Those witty zings and sarcastic remarks do make for an interesting character. If I am going to be the hero to his villain in the eyes of the public I must have a unique persona of my own. I intend to present myself as a sort of noble warrior magician who upholds honor and justice…and one who shows mercy to his opponents…unlike a certain arachnid. You chose the right man Mr. Osborn, if I may be so bold as to say so. I am quite the accomplished magician, so swaying the public with charm and subtle illusion is no great feat for me….but I'm certain you already know that.."

Quentin listened on the phone for a moment and then looked over at the machines. One was a black box with a window showing a grey substance being molded into a giant humanoid shape. The second looked like some sort of drink dispenser, if a little more futuristic. The third was a little smaller, and was just a closed box, so its purpose was more of a mystery.

"Yes," said Beck. "I do intend for the enforcers to follow this theme I've chosen. After all, the henchmen must have some logical relationship to the boss." He started working again. "Thank you for sending them by the way. I'm content to be the brain of the operation, but I do need a bit of muscle to back me up. Spiderman is a physical threat, after all. But don't worry. The public may have warmed up to him now, but his image can still be destroyed. After all..."

He finished the head of the hologram and it was an exact replica of Spiderman's mask.

"The Spiderman everyone knows is merely a persona," and he grinned, taking a moment to admire his work.

**….**

"It's not a persona," said Peter.

"Isn't not?" asked Gwen, looking up at Peter. "You mean all the Spiderman quips aren't an act? Wouldn't you want to act differently from how you normally do? You know…so no one guessed your true identity."

Peter, hanging upside down with his bare feet clinging to the ceiling…a move to demonstrate his powers to Gwen…answered with a sly grin. "But that's what's so brilliant about it! I mean did you guess I was Spiderman before I told you?"

"Well," she replied. "Not really. I all those jokes you tell…that's just you."

"Exactly!" said Peter. "You know full well that the real me tells jokes, but with Spiderman you assumed his jokes are part of his persona to protect his true identity, so you subconsciously assume that someone who acts like that in real life can't be Spiderman. It's a classic case of reverse psychology."

"Huh," said Gwen, rubbing her chin. "That never occurred to me."

Peter dropped from the ceiling, flipped down, and landed feet first on the floor with a thump, saying, "No, of course not."

They sat down on Peter's bed, side by side. Gwen looked at him curiously, while Peter waited for her response. Finally she spoke up.

"It's still so strange," said Gwen. "I really didn't expect a friend of mine to be Spiderman."

"That was my plan," said Peter nervously. "But I figured I could hide this forever. What do you think?"

She shrugged. "I guess I don't know what to think. I need some time to let this sink in. Have you told Harry yet?"

"Not yet," said Peter. "I want to take this one step at a time. I'll let you get used to the idea and then tell him."

"So," she said cautiously. "You told me first? How come?"

Peter suddenly got nervous. He felt like he had picked her first at random, but then he realized he had just picked her first without thinking about it…but that sounded like he…well…he wasn't certain he actually felt that way so he said, "I flipped a coin."

He silently called himself an idiot.

"Oh," said Gwen, sounding disappointed.

He silently called himself an idiot again.

"Peter!" they heard his Aunt May call. "Peter, would you come down here please?!"

Peter sighed. "I'd better go," he said to Gwen. "Are you okay? I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"I think I'm fine," said Gwen. "I just need to think about things." She smiled at him. "But Peter, we're still friends no matter what. You know that don't you?"

Peter smiled. "Of course. That's all that matters."

They hugged, and went to see what Aunt May wanted. Peter was of course happy that he had told her, but a still little nervous as well. No telling how this would affect her in the long run. Still, he was glad he got this out of the way. Gwen, meanwhile, was thinking that she really didn't know what to make of this bombshell just yet.


	4. Chapter 3

IMPORTANT: I think there might have been a mix-up. I had mistakenly called the 'epilogue' chapter one on the website when it should have just been called epilogue. As such the current 'chapter one' was actually a new chapter. Please make certain you haveread the previous chapter before you read this one. My apologies if there was any confusion.

The Marvelous Spider-Man 2

Chapter Three

By

Jason Richard

Peter and Gwen came downstairs to find Peter's Aunt May sitting in the living room with a guest. It was a woman in a business suit with a briefcase and a stern look. Peter was about to ask what was going on when he saw his Aunt May's expression. She looked worried. Very worried.

He finally asked, "Who's this?"

"Well Peter," began Aunt May nervously. "This is Miss Harding from…from social services."

"Social services?" asked Peter curiously.

"Yes Peter," said Mrs. Harding, suddenly going from stern to taking on a bright smile. "That's right. I'm from social services. Is this a friend of yours?" she looked at Gwen.

Peter, who had the distinct feeling she was treating him like a smaller child, said, "Yeah."

"Well Peter," said Miss Harding. "I'm sorry, but I really need to discuss something with you and your Aunt. I'm going to have to ask your friend to leave. OK?"

Peter was about to object when Gwen said, "It's okay Peter. I'd better go anyway. Places to go, people to see…things to think about."

Peter understood and nodded. Gwen started walking away when she saw Aunt May's worried expression. Gwen then pursed her lips disapprovingly and turned to Miss Harding.

"I don't know why you're here," she said feistily. "But you'd better not make Peter's Aunt cry."

Miss Harding didn't seem to know what to make of this so she said, "O…Ok. That's fine. Run along now."

Gwen turned and said irritably, "I'm not twelve you know."

And leave she did. Peter kept thinking that usually Gwen was pretty sweet to people. However, he kind of enjoyed it when her feisty side came out. After Gwen left Peter sat down and gave Miss Harding a suspicious look.

"What's this about?" he asked.

"Well Peter," said Aunt May carefully. "Social services has found out about your job."

"My job?" asked Peter, confused. "At the Daily Bugle? So what?"

"Peter," said Miss Harding in a patronizingly sweet manner. "We don't have a problem with you having an internship…or, even, an opportunity to make some money. In fact we think it's great that your being a big boy and…"

"What am I? Twelve?" said Peter harshly. "If me having a job isn't a problem then what is?"

Miss Harding sighed. "Well…I suppose the problem is that your Aunt…doesn't."

Between Miss Harding giving Aunt May a stern, disapproving look and Aunt May looking down almost shamefully, Peter started to get a grasp of what was going on.

"Wait…" said Peter. "Are you saying that…that you don't think Aunt May can take care of me? What about her Retirement? My Uncle's life insurance?"

"Well," said Miss Harding, surprised. "I'll explain. Your Aunt has been unemployed for years…ever since her marriage to your uncle apparently."

"Well," said Aunt May nervously. "I wanted to be a stay at home mother and housewife."

"Indeed," said Miss Harding, unimpressed. "As for your uncle's life insurance you should know that there was never much of that to begin with. As it stands Peter you are the primary source of income for this household."

"So?"

"So," said Miss Harding, getting a little irritated. "It's the guardian who should be taking care of the child. Not the other way around. We have to take into account that this might not be the best environment for you."

"We?" asked Peter angrily. "Who's we? You're not family! What makes you think you can take anything into account?"

"Peter!" said Aunt May sternly. "Manners."

Peter took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry Aunt May…but I mean it. I don't care what this woman says. I'm staying here with you. As for you Miss Harding, I know you are going to want to talk to me in private, but don't bother. I have nothing more to say to you."

Aunt May looked at Peter gratefully, while Miss Harding looked at him sternly, though not unkindly.

"Well," said Miss Harding. "I see you're serious. However, don't think this is the end. I'll probably recommend a hearing about this."

Miss Harding turned to leave, but stopped for a moment and turned back with a curious look.

"Peter," she said. "I'm curious. Just how do you track Spiderman anyway? To get those pictures I mean."

Peter looked at her coldly. "How do I track Spiderman?"

He looked at her coldly for a few more moments, before breaking out into a wild grin. "Oh," he said. "I've got a pet Spider that follows him around and keeps me updated. You want to meet him? He's a tarantula!"

Miss Harding stared with her mouth open and said, "Um…no that's okay. I'll be going now."

Miss Harding left, and Peter turned to his aunt.

"I'm not going anywhere Aunt May," he said. "I promise."

May smiled hesitantly and Peter looked at the door. He didn't like this. Not one bit.


	5. Chapter 4

The Marvelous Spider-Man 2

Chapter Four

By

Jason Richard

Felicia Hardy strolled into the warehouse to find Quentin Beck still working, surrounded by his tables, machines, and costumes. This time he was working on what appeared to be a giant minotaur in leather armor. It was almost finished, and Quentin was using a small razor like device to attach hair to the figure. What this Beck person wanted with such a thing was anyone's guess, but Felecia didn't really care. She had business with Beck.

Unpleasant business.

"Mr. Beck," she said, hiding her frustration behind a sweet smile.

"Ah!" said Quentin cheerfully. "Miss Hardy. How nice of you to join me. I was just finishing Mr. Ox's costume…though I suppose 'battle suit' would be an appropriate term. It is based on the technology used by the rhino character that Spiderman faced a while back. You can see the machine that formed the neogenic polymer behind me."

He pointed to the machine with a glass window, now open, and continued. "Quite frankly a rhino is quite a ridiculous persona. I can only imagine the juvenile jokes that could stem from a single horn on one's head. I find it hard to believe our gracious employer Mr. Osborn has a future use for him, but no matter. I…"

"As fascinating," Felecia quickly interrupted. "As this is I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Quentin said, pausing his work and giving Felicia his full attention.

"My room," she said. "A dusty warehouse office with a laughable attempt to make it luxurious. It…"

She moved suddenly.

She had intended to twist his arm and grab him around the neck but her hand passed right through him. She quickly realized that it wasn't really him she was facing, but a hologram. A cheerful, grinning hologram. She looked around at the tables, the costumes, and the machines and realized…

"Everything here…" she began. "Right now…is a hologram? Isn't that a bit…extravagant?"

"Perhaps," said Beck, resuming his work. "But if resisting the urge to be extravagant means I do things halfway then I would rather be extravagant. Besides, I made a good point just now, didn't I? I may not be a fighter like you and the enforcers, but I am not to be underestimated."

He looked at her with a surprisingly intense glare and said, "Understood?"

Felcia didn't' flinch. "Perfectly."

She turned to leave. After all, she wasn't going to get anywhere with this, but then she stopped and looked back. She figured she shouldn't humor this guy, but her curiosity got the better of her. It was just so strange to see this supposed criminal mastermind work on this minotaur figure like a child entering an art contest.

"Why do you do that?" asked Feleica. "Make these things yourself I mean. You made that Spiderman hologram with your hands as well. Wouldn't a machine be easier and less time consuming?"

"Perhaps," said Quentin, never taking his eyes off his work. "But it would also be significantly less satisfying. I'm an artist Miss Hardy, and true artistry requires craftsmanship. I don't expect you to understand."

"I suppose," she replied. "But…why would someone like you…an artist…get involved in crime to begin with? Just what do you have against Spiderman? You don't really seem the criminal type to me."

Quentin Beck froze. He had an intense look on his face, a taste of some inner rage, but quickly it faded as he continued his work.

"Well," said Beck. "I have no reason not to tell you. Let me ask you this. Had you ever heard of the name Quentin Beck before yesterday?"

"No," said Felicia. "Not really."

"That's why I hate Spiderman," said Beck. "No one knows my name. You see I used to be a performing magician. I was quite the hit in my hometown, but being a small act doesn't pay very well. Luckily I did manage to land a decent job as a special effects designer for a movie company. With these professions I gained both a talent for showmanship and a technical wizardry. I was able to take what I learned from movies and apply them to my magic shows. I could easily redirect the audience's attention from the trick with a few well-placed holograms. I had this one trick..."

"If this story turns out to long I'm going to regret asking," said Felicia with a playful smirk. "Just warning you."

Quentin laughed. "Very well," he said. "I'll keep this brief. I was doing fairly well until one day I was contacted by a Hollywood executive. He was going to set me up with a chance to perform in New York City. I was thrilled, naturally, and for this trick I wanted to do something spectacular. Now, one of my tricks…and this is important…involved a volunteer from the audience. I'd call him up to the stage and the two of us would stand up and talk. I'd do a few card tricks and other small things with him to warm everybody up, and then in a flash of light the two of us would be on the other side of the room."

"Are you certain this is relevant?" she asked.

"It is," he replied. "Now, the tricked worked like this. While I was talking with the audience member and doing these smaller tricks two pieces of holographic glass would rise up out of the floor electronically. One would be flat and would present an image to the audience of us talking, while the other would be a dome that came up around the two of us and would show an image of the stage and the audience. Inside the dome the volunteer and I would be moving behind the stage, around the audience, and towards the back of the stage. The holographic dome, installed with shock redirectors, would keep the volunteer from being aware that he was moving. At the same time the holographic sheet of glass facing the audience would create the illusion that we were still, and these smaller tricks would be the perfect cover while the dome took it's time making its way around."

"A neat trick I'll admit," said Felicia. "But what does this have to do with…"

"Spiderman?" asked Beck. "He was my volunteer in New York City. You see I was often accused of using doubles, as well as a plant in the audience. For that reason I set up holograms over the city that only someone flying between the buildings would see and asked him to be the volunteer. No one would believe that Spiderman in on the trick, if he proved to be the real thing. The public seems to trust him these days after all. Well, he agreed to volunteer, and he showed up."

Quentin looked sad for a moment and said, "It was the worst mistake of my career."

He kept working. "At first things seemed to go exactly as I had planned. Spiderman helped me with the trick and couldn't figure out how it was done. My career seemed assured…and to make it final I went for an encore performance. That time I really did select a random member of the audience. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, when suddenly Spiderman swung in and started shouting. 'I had to shut it down. I had to shut it down.' Over and over again. He said he'd figured the trick out…that there was a flaw in my design. He said this right in front of everyone. The audience, the stage hands, the Hollywood executive…

"The next thing I knew the building was on fire."

He paused again, and bit his lower lip. "Well, to make a long story short I was blacklisted from the industry, and people soon forgot about me…all because they took the word of Spiderman. I've thought it over many times, and there isn't a reason for my devices to have caused that fire. Not a single component or substance in my devices were a fire hazard. I've even gone back and tested them, just to be certain. It wasn't me. All I can assume is that Spiderman set that fire himself…because not seeing through my trick was a blow to his pride. That is why I hate Spiderman Miss Hardy."

He began working again and Felicia sighed. "That hardly seems fair. You don't know Spiderman started the fire."

Quentin Beck glared for a moment, and then shook his head. "You're right. I can't be completely certain what happened, but that doesn't change the fact that I lost everything that day. It's quite a horrible feeling…to put your heart and soul into your work…and then not be appreciated for it. It is truly a miserable experience. I don't expect you to understand."

Truthfully, she didn't, but she figured she had learned all she could. She turned to walk away when Quentin spoke.

"Miss Hardy," said Quentin. "Why is it that you don't hate Spiderman as much as I do? His transgression against you is…after all…not even in question."

Felcia sighed again and turned around. "When my father, the infamous cat-burglar as he was called, was finally caught by the police, I was left on my own. I kept up family business though, and spent a lot of time trying to stay out of jail. The truth is that I had so many close calls that I…well…I just knew that I'd be caught someday. I didn't know when it would happen, or where…but I knew it would happen, so when it did happen I wasn't angry or upset. I just accepted what I knew had been coming for a long time. Though I'll admit, I didn't' expect it to happen with a guy in red and blue tights."

They both chuckled.

"Well," said Quentin. "You're a very fascinating young lady, I must say."

"Thank you," said Felicia. "You're quite interesting yourself Mr. Beck."

"Please," said Quentin, still working. "Call me Quentin."

"Alright Quentin," said Felicia cheerfully. "And you may call me Felicia…even though I do have the advantage of an easier to take seriously name."

"Indeed," said Quentin, chuckling. "Indeed. And don't worry. When all this is over I'm certain Mr. Osborn will be able to compensate you for your contribution, so please don't' think of this as you being held against your will. Think of it as a once in a lifetime retirement opportunity. Who else would have the chance to retire at such a young age…eh?"

Felicia frowned and said, "Do you really trust Mr. Osborn that much?"

"I have to," he replied. "It's not enough for people to like your work to become famous. You need someone with connections to like your work…and that's what Mr. Osborn is for me…a chance for people to see my work...and tie of loose ends in my past…in this case with a noose."

He grinned a seemingly cheerful grin, but Felicia didn't like the look in his eyes then, even as he turned back to his work. The rest of the time he had been working with full concentration on his work. He was still concentrated, but now his eyes bore an intense look, the look of a man with an obsession. Truthfully she was afraid of what would happen if she got in the way of that obsession. She turned and left, and Quentin Beck made the finishing touches on the minotaur figure. He scrutinized it carefully. As far as he was concerned everything had to be perfect. Every…single…last little detail had to be perfect.

They had a big day tomorrow, after all.


	6. Chapter 6

For those of you who have followed this story and not me, you might want to know that I have started work on a sequel to The Marvelous Spider-Man which is now available.

Here's the link:

( s/9463011/1/The-Marvelous-Spider-Man-2)

Also, for anyone who is interested I have started work on an original fiction on Fictionpress. Don't worry, this won't interfere with The Marvelous Spiderman 2. I just wanted to expand my work a little.

Here's the link for that:

s/3138126/1/Split-Psychic


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